Seeking control is a natural response to anxiety.

I see the same things, say the same things to many people:

"Relax your arms"

"Let go of the leash"

"Take a breath"

When we are anxious, when uncertainty hits, our instinct is often to grasp for control—to keep our dog close, to anticipate every outcome.

That's a FIGHT instinct - it's meant to keep you (and your dog) safe.

That fear-driven need for control usually makes us less effective, not more. We tighten up, overthink, and can't remember our training—those skills and games we planned on using.

Instead of trying to control our dog, instead of keeping them close and tense, prepared for any situation, we can build positive, fun techniques into muscle memory.

When we strategically rehearse how we want to show up—not just the mechanics, but the mindset, making it fun and game based—those patterns get encoded into muscle memory. They become our default, available even when we're caught off guard - for both you AND your dog.

The difference is profound. Someone operating from fear-based control is rigid and reactive. Someone drawing on preparation is flexible and responsive.. and enjoying their walk.

We can't pretending uncertainty doesn't exist, but we can build a foundation strong enough that when the world surprises us, we're reacting confidently, not panicking.

Cheers,
Christina

p.s. I have a free webinar on arousal on July 15th. Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll receive a link to the recording in your inbox.

"Good Dog!"

3 Steps to Helping Dogs with Big Feelings

2738 Holden Corso Rd, Nanaimo, BC v9x 1n5
Unsubscribe · Preferences

A well-trained dog is a way of life 😊

A well trained dog is a way of life, not just a training game 😊 Does your dog pull like mad when you head to the lake, or to the dog park, or where the bunnies live? Does your dog loose their cool when they know you are driving to one of their favourite places? You probably learned self-control games in one of your training classes, yet your dog still struggles to keep it together. Games are a great way to learn, but the real benefit comes when you use those skills in everyday life. Here's an...

4 days ago • 1 min read

🤷 I'm a Lazy Trainer

I'm a lazy trainer. Runa wanted to visit a person on the beach. I wanted her to stay with me. Recall training is pretty important right now. I also would like to build enthusiastic heeling foundations. As always, we are practicing the skill increasing and lowering arousal. I can do all of this at once! When we understand how and when arousal helps or hinders, and we have the skills to increase or decrease arousal, a single training session can work on many things at once. In the above...

6 days ago • 1 min read

⚠️ Playing It Safe Holding Your Dog Back?

Every week I hear from someone who feels crushed because their dog had a reaction. Maybe they barked at a neighbour, lost their cool at a dog on the street, or had a really hard time with a visitor. “Did we undo all our training? Are we back at square one?” It's OK. Reactions are not the end of the world. Occasional failures are a part of growth. The trap many of us fall into is playing it too safe. When we stay too deep in the comfort zone, progress slows. When we don't push boundaries, you...

9 days ago • 1 min read